Wednesday, January 31, 2007

Flags of our fathers


I think that is an appropriate title for this blog, because soon it will be Waitangi Day in New Zealand. A treaty was signed on the 6th February 1840, between the participating Maori tribes, or Iwi, and the Government of the day.
A chief called Hone Heke objected and twice cut down the flag at Waitangi. The flag being what we call the Union Jack.
Our flag now has the Union Jack plus the four stars which represent the Star system, the Southern Cross. It's a bit odd that in our National Anthem, there is a line that goes, Guard Pacific's Triple Star! What the? I don't think anyone knows the true answer to that, and yet we all sing along and place our arm across our breast in the patriotic fashion.
Is it time for a change? This question has been tossed around in the mouths of various governments and spat out so many times in the past few years. The Maori are the indigenous race in this country and yet are not represented on our present flag. (Another what the?) I am all for one nation, one flag, hence the included picture. With maybe a Union Jack somewhere in the corner?

Tuesday, January 23, 2007

There's gold in them thar hills!


Coromandel_2007 037
Originally uploaded by Cooky2.
The last of the Thames goldmines was fully operational up until 1951. Now it is owned and operated as a tourism venture, where it produces a small amount of different quartzes and the out buildings serve as a museum and souvenir shop.
My intrepid friends went down into the actual mine on a guided tour, and looked the part in the obligatory hard hats. I personally am not too keen on holes in the ground, so I stayed outside and tried my hand at panning in the trough. No luck with that, but it was fun scooping the stuff up in the pan and sifting it through.
From the old photos in the museum/gallery, you can tell that it was a very hard life for the miners and their families in the 1860s when the goldfields first opened up. Nowadays thousands of people go through this very historic relic of New Zealand's past.

Monday, January 22, 2007

On the Peninsula


Coromandel 020
Originally uploaded by Cooky2.
There is this beautiful piece of paradise just up past Coromandel called Papa Aroha. We stayed there at the campsite for two nights in the tiniest little cabin imaginable.
You'd have trouble getting a cat in the door, let alone swing it!
Lucky we only really had to sleep in it, which we did as we were so tired swimming in the sea and exploring along the beach and playing scrabble and dominos till all hours.
The weather was warm, the sea was lovely when you got in and the boogie board got well used. The beach was stoney though and all along, there were loads of scallop shells, having been cracked open by the gulls and relieved of the succulent morsels.
The drive up around the coastline is spectacular to say the least and as we left there and meandered our way back down, promises were made to return sometime in the future...........